INDIANAPOLIS -- “Sound Medicine” announces its program for Nov. 17, featuring two segments involving FDA regulation, doctors and patients not following clinical practice guidelines, and a professor discussing his terminal cancer.

Why is the FDA trying to ban trans fats? The FDA has proposed banning partially hydrogenated oils, which are the source of trans fats. According to the FDA, trans fats raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, and banning trans fats could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease every year. Marissa Moore, MBA, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, joins “Sound Medicine” for a conversation about the potential effects of banning trans fats.

And why did the FDA approve a new hydrocodone-only pain killer? Last month the FDA approved a new high-dose narcotic painkiller, Zohydro ER, against the advice of its own advisors. Zohydro ER is five to 10 times stronger than traditional opioid painkillers and does not have abuse-deterrent properties. However, the FDA argues the benefits of Zohydro ER outweigh the costs. Andy Chambers, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the Indiana University School of Medicine, discusses why the FDA approved the drug, its potential for abuse, and the FDA’s relationship with the opioid drug industry.

How do internationally trained doctors qualify to practice in the United States? Elizabeth Ingraham, assistant vice president of communications and outreach for the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, joins host Barbara Lewis to talk about the challenges international medical graduates face when trying to become licensed in the United States. The commission evaluates the education and qualifications of foreign medical graduates. Ingraham discusses the steps such graduates must take to become licensed in the Unites States and how foreign medical training measures up.

“Patient Listening”: A professor performs his own grand rounds: Over the past few months, “Sound Medicine” listeners have gotten to know the case of Vince Gattone, Ph.D., a professor of pathology and instructor of gross anatomy at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Gattone was diagnosed with terminal cancer and has decided to use his illness as a learning experience for his students. We listened as Dr. Gattone recently presented and took questions about his own case during grand rounds, a tradition in which a physician presents the details of a particularly interesting or challenging case to his or her peers and students.

Why has nearsightedness increased in the past 30 years? According to a study conducted by the National Eye Institute, myopia, also known as nearsightedness, has risen 66 percent among Americans age 12 to 54 in the past 30 years. Don Mutti, O.D., Ph.D., a professor of optometry at The Ohio State University, talks about his quest to find out the causes.

Are clinical practice guidelines being ignored? Donald Casey Jr., M.D., MPH, MBA, is the author of a recent essay published in JAMA Internal Medicine that examines why doctors and patients typically don’t follow clinical practice guidelines. Dr. Casey discusses the effectiveness of guidelines, why they are often ignored, and why physicians and patients should pay closer attention to them. Dr. Casey is the vice president of network integration and associate chief clinical officer at NYU Langone Medical Center.

“Sound Medicine” covers controversial ethics topics, breakthrough research studies and the day-to-day application of recent advancements in medicine. It’s also available via podcast and Stitcher Radio for mobile phones and iPads and posts updates on Facebook and Twitter.